Star casino may be the most violent venue but exempt from restrictions

The Star casino at Pyrmont is likely to be the state's most violent venue, new figures show, yet it remains exempt from key NSW government policies aimed at reducing alcohol-fuelled violence.

A recent Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research review of the effect on violence of lockout laws in Kings Cross and central Sydney revealed the number of assaults occurring in and around The Star.

The Star at PyrmontCredit:Ian Waldie

It said between February and September last year there were an average of 6.3 assaults per month – up from 3.5 in the corresponding period for 2013.

The figures the bureau published for the Star included, but were not restricted to, alcohol-related assaults.

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This equates to 75 assaults at the Star in a year – three times the number recorded for the central Sydney nightclub Ivy, which was named in December as the state's most violent venue.

Ivy recorded 26 alcohol-related assaults between July 1, 2013, and June 30 last year, leading to trading restrictions including a 1.30am lockout and a ban on glass and shots after midnight.

Under the government's scheme, these restrictions apply to any venue that records more than 19 alcohol-related assaults in a year.

However, the Star has been exempt from the violent venues scheme since its inception in 2008.

The Star is also exempt from the "Three Strikes" scheme under which venues face loss of their liquor licence for repeated breaches of licensing laws.

The most recent annual report of the Independent Liquor and Gaming Authority (ILGA) revealed The Star was fined or censured 12 times during 2013-14 for licence breaches.

Twice it was fined for permitting intoxication in the casino and once for permitting intoxication in its Marquee nightclub – each an offence that would usually incur a strike.

The Star is also exempt from the 1.30am lockout and 3am last drinks rules for Kings Cross and central Sydney as it is outside the precinct boundary.

The BOCSAR report looked at whether the rules were causing violence to shift to venues outside the lockout area. It found "some evidence" of this but the change was not statistically significant.

A spokeswoman for The Star said: "In the context of The Star receiving more than 11,000,000 visitors per year to a single site, far higher than any other venue in NSW, we believe that our record on guest safety is very strong".

She said the casino worked closely with the NSW gambling regulator and police.

A spokeswoman for Deputy Premier Troy Grant said the assault statistics "need to be taken into context with the size of the casino, which includes a hotel and gaming facility".

"The NSW government will continue to ensure we strike the right balance between individual and industry responsibility," she said.